Cardiac Rehabilitation: Weight and Resistance Training

Topic Contents

Cardiac Rehabilitation: Weight and Resistance Training

Topic Overview

Resistance training with weights, elastic bands, or your
own body weight may help you regain the physical strength and confidence to do
the daily tasks you performed before your heart problem or surgery. Resistance
training can help you get the most benefit from your
cardiac rehabilitation (rehab)
program.

Do not start a strength-training program without discussing it with your doctor. Your doctor can help make sure your training
program is as safe as possible for you. Everyone is different. So you, your
doctor, and your cardiac rehab team will create an exercise program that fits
with your health risks and your fitness level.

A physical therapist or other
rehab professional can carefully design and monitor a program that's right for
your level of injury and fitness. They will help teach you how to train with
weights and will check to make sure you are exercising safely.

You might do weight training 2 or 3 days each week. You
will start with light weights and add more weight as you get stronger. You will
likely do 8 to 10 different exercises that work the major muscle groups. These
exercises may include the chest press, leg press, and biceps curl.

Williams MA, et al. (2007). Resistance exercise in
individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2007 update: A scientific
statement from the American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology
and Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism. Circulation, 116(5): 572–584.

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